A travel secretary works in an agency or corporation as an administrative assistant. He or she might be referred to as a travel office assistant. Under the supervision of an agent, travel secretaries coordinate trip plans for clients and frequently answer phones and serve customers. When a secretary plans trips for corporate executives, he or she usually creates itineraries or schedules as well.
Secretaries in travel agencies are frequently in charge of complying with licensing requirements and other paperwork required to run the business. While a travel secretary may answer the phone and deliver mail, he or she also provides advice to clients and should be knowledgeable about all aspects of the tourism industry. This in-depth knowledge aids those attempting to coordinate flights and hotels in resolving issues. Some travel secretaries assist in the creation of client-use informational brochures.
Travel secretaries often organize all of the details of executives’ trips if they work for a company. Trade shows and conventions may be planned a corporate travel secretary. Most business travel secretaries are concerned with saving the company money when booking rooms and transportation.
Travel-related secretary careers are frequently offered vocational schools or community colleges, though these programs may not be as common as other types of secretarial specialties such as legal and medical. A practicum section of a school program may include a student interning as a travel secretary. Both online and in-person travel secretarial programs are available. These programs usually last less than a year and include a number of exams that must be passed in order to receive a certificate.
Secretaries must be able to use travel booking software. A travel secretary must be computer savvy and capable of coordinating numerous details. If a client’s trip requires more than one airline, the secretary must include instructions for connecting flights. Customer service also necessitates the planning of connections with the least amount of waiting time.
Travel secretaries can work either full-time or part-time. They may travel for business meetings as well as personal vacations on occasion. Secretaries can help clients create value-packed tour packages developing good working relationships with others in the travel industry, such as airline representatives and tour operators. They assist travel agents in ensuring that their agency offers customers the best deals and trip options possible as part of this effort. A travel secretary may specialize in one area, such as holiday tours, while an agent handles other packages in some agencies.